11 May 2015

Morrisons Great Manchester Run 10km road race, 10 May

Charnwood’s Gemma Steel (John Nuttall) finished runner up in the women’s race for the second year in succession, clocking 31:55 behind Kenyan Betsy Saina, who broke away in the first half of the race and held on to win in 31:49.

European 10,000m champion Jo Pavey (Jo Pavey) was tenth in 33:21 – the third British woman, behind Steel and Stockport’s Jess Coulson (Mick Woods), who was ninth in 33:15.

Scottish cross country champion Andrew Butchart (coach: Derek Easton) had the satisfaction of leading the charge of British men and who claimed the prized scalp of Haile Gebrselassie in what proved to be the Ethiopian distance running greats final competitive race.

The 23-year-old Central AC athlete set a personal best in seventh of 29:09, with Ross Millington (Steve Vernon) eighth in 29:11, Jonny Taylor (Gordon Surtees) ninth in 29:19, Ryan McLeod 11th in 29:23, John McDonnell (Andrew Hobdell) 12th in 29:29 and John Beattie  (Gavin Smith) 14th in 29:52.

The race was won by Kenya’s Stephen Sambu in a 2015 World Lead 10km time of 27:30, with Stephen Mokoka second in 27:08, a South African record, and former world 1500m and 5,000m champion Bernard Lagat third in 27:48.

There was also British joy in the two wheelchair races, six-time Paralympic gold medallist David Weir (Jenny Archer) won the men’s event for the sixth time in 20:57, and Shelly Woods (Jenny Archer) took the women’s title in 25:37 ahead of Mel Nicholls (Job King) and Jade Jones (Ian Thompson/Tanni Grey-Thompson) who completed the course in 26:28 and 27:19 respectively.

Additionally, Angela Copson (Ian Wilson), the 68-year-old Rugby and Northampton athlete, set a Masters over 65 world best of 40:30.

http://www.greatrun.org/results/

Jamaica International Invitational, Kingston, Jamaica, 9 May

Commonwealth discus bronze medallist Jade Lally (Andrew Neal) notched her first victory in an IAAF World Challenge series meeting in Jamaica’s National Stadium. The Shaftesbury Barnet Harrier threw 59.90m, improving her season’s best and 2015 UK lead by 24cm.

World 400m champion Christine Ohuruogu also went to the top of the UK outdoor rankings with her first individual outing of the year.

Ohuruogu’s time in Kingston was an encouraging 51.48 but it was only good enough for fifth place in a loaded field. Olympic champion Sanya Richards-Ross won the race with the first sub-50 clocking of the year, 49.95.

Commonwealth silver medallist Laura Samuel (Aston Moore) finished third in the triple jump with 13.69m (+0.1)

http://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-challenge/jamaica-international-invitational-5633/timetable/byday

Seiko Golden Grand Prix, Kawasaki, Japan, 10 May

Commonwealth hammer bronze medallist Sophie Hitchon (Tore Gustafsson) improved her 2015 British Lead with a throw of 69.45m for seventh place. This was a 25cm improvement on the Blackburn Harrier’s season opener at Stanford University in the US the previous weekend.

Tom Burton (Nick Dakin) finished fourth in the 400m hurdles in Japan to record 49.98 in his first race of the year. Max Eaves (self-coached) was third in the pole vault jumping 5.40m.

http://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-challenge/seiko-golden-grand-prix-5632/timetable/byday

BWAA, Stoke Mandeville 9-10 May

It was another busy weekend for Hannah Cockroft (Jenni Banks) competing in four events over the weekend. The double Paralympic, World and European champion raced in the 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m posting times of 18.06, 1:06.67, 32.78 and 2:18.30 respectively.

It was a weekend full of personal bests for GB & NI teammate Mel Nicholls (King) as the T34 athlete clocked 19.80 to dip under the 20 second barrier for the first time in her career as well as a strong showing in the 800m finishing just behind Cockroft.

The evergreen Stephen Miller (Ros Miller) shows no sign of slowing down as the European silver medallist threw out to 32.63m in the F32 club throw – his furthest throw since 2009.

Ben Rowlings (King) was in impressive form for the second week running, winning the 100m, 200m and 400m in Stoke Mandeville. Toby Gold (Jenny Archer) clocked a season’s best in the 100m with a time of 18.20 in the T33 classification.

After throwing a personal best at this event 12 months ago, Danny Nobbs (Tim Newenham) went out to his third biggest throw of his career with a 21.85m showing in the F54 javelin.

European F32 club throw third and fourth placers Gemma Prescott (Mike Wood)and Abbie Hunnisett (Camilla Thrush) were also in action with best attempts of 19.75m and 17.96m throws respectively, while Georgina Oliver (Paul Moseley) was in good form clocking 17.88, 32.72 and 1:07.49 in the 100m, 200m and 400m. 

Richard Chiassaro (Banks) also racked up three wins in the T54 100m, 200m and 400m, while Mo Jomni (Archer) improved his time from last weekend in the 400m by three tenths of second crossing the line in 54.00.

Weir Archer Academy’s Dillon Labrooy (Archer) also made a four second improvement in the T54 800m from seven days ago, as the 17 year old posted a time of 1:54.71.

UK Women’s League Division One, Derby 10 May

Teenager Charlotte McLennaghan (David Hourd) completed a sprint double, bagging two PBs in the process. The 17-year-old won the 100m in 11.66 (+0.6) and the 200m in 23.09 (+1.2). The latter moved her to fifth on the UK-junior all-time list ahead of Katharine Merry.

Former European indoor 800m champion Jenny Meadows (Trevor Painter) opened her outdoor season with a 54.65 clocking for second place in the 400m – behind Lily Beckford (Christine Bowmaker) who won in 54.10, a new lifetime best for the 17 year-old.

http://www.thepowerof10.info/results/results.aspx?meetingid=129268

British Athletics League Premiership, Sheffield, 9 May

IPC European Championship T44 high jump silver medallist Jonathan Broom-Edwards (Fayyaz Ahmed) equalled his lifetime best in finishing runner up to Chris Baker (Sharon Heveran) in the opening BAL Premiership fixture of the season.  The 26-year-old Birchfield Harrier, a training partner of Olympic bronze medallist Robbie Grabarz, cleared 2.15m. Baker won with 2.15m on countback.

Elsewhere in the field, Commonwealth bronze medallist Mark Dry took victory in the hammer with a throw of 70,60m. Daniel Gardiner (Mike Stayman) won the long jump with 7.52m (wind -0.5) and British indoor champion Luke Cutts (Trevor Fox) won the pole vault with a modest 4.60m.

On the track, Rabah Yousef (Carol Williams) clocked 45.83 in the 400m, the fastest outdoor time by a British quarter-miler thus far in 2015.

Ojie Edoburun (Jonas Tawiah-Dodoo), the 18-year-old World Youth Championship silver medallist,  won the 100m in 10.34 ( wind +1.5). 

European Junior  200m silver medallist Leon Reid (James Hillier) finished runner-up in the 100m in 10.43 but won the 200m in 20.67 ( wind +1.3) ahead of Rory Evans (John Smith) runner-up in 20.80, and Antonio Infantino (Marty Newman), third in 20.93. David King (James Hillier) followed his 110m hurdles victory at last weekend’s BUCS Championships with another win, this time in 14.11 (wind +0.6).

http://www.thepowerof10.info/results/results.aspx?meetingid=129157&pagenum=1

World Athletics Center Invite, Phoenix, USA, 9 May

British indoor long jump champion Abigail Irozuru (Dan Pfaff) opened her outdoor season with a winning 6.61m leap (+1.5) at her US training base in Arizona.

Duke Twilight meeting, Durham USA, 7 May

Michael Bingham (George Williams), the 2010 European Championship silver medallist, clocked an outdoor season’s best for 400m with a winning run of 46.40 – an improvement of 0.19 on the Birchfield Harrier’s one-lap opener at the Tom Jones Invitational in Gainesville, Florida, last month.